No One Said Destiny Was Supposed To Be Easy
by Carley9
Summary: Severus Snape never believed in destiny. Upon learning that Hermione Granger's was tied into his, he tried to run the other way.
1. Part 1

Written for kerravonsen as part of the Winter 2013 SS/HG Promptfest

**The Prompt:** Severus Snape isn't Tobias Snape's son. Instead, he is half magical being (e.g. Selkie, Veela, Faerie), but Eileen died before she could tell him. His near-death in the Shrieking Shack triggered his non-human heritage. Not only is there some subtle physical change, but he realizes that Hermione Granger is his Destined One: he must mate with her or die. Naturally, being Severus Snape, he'd rather die. (HEA please!) (SS/HG)

**Author's Note:** A huge thanks to my betas araeofsomething and of_anoesis for a job well done. They helped hammer this into shape and (in my opion) made it better than the original :)

* * *

**PART I**

Severus woke up and found himself staring at a familiar ceiling. One of the last things he remembered was Nagini biting him, causing him to reach up and stroke the spot where he had been bitten. He was surprised to find smooth skin, and not a bandage like he had been expecting. Afraid of what this meant, he raised up his left arm and saw that his Dark Mark had disappeared as well. Unsure if he had actually managed to make it through the battle unscathed, he knew there was only one way to be completely certain.

"Poppy!" He bellowed.

The matron poked her head around the curtain and smiled at him. "I'm glad you finally decided to rejoin us." She filled up a glass with water from the pitcher on his nightstand and handed it to him as he sat up. "A lot has happened since the Final Battle. For one, you have been pardoned for all your crimes."

Sipping the water, Severus said, "Seems like the old man kept his word after all." His voice was a little hoarse, but sipping the water help clear his throat.

Poppy shook her head in a disapproving manner. "It also helps that the young Mr Potter vouched for you." She took his empty glass and refilled it. As she returned it to him, she said, "You have also been relieved from your post as Headmaster, _and_ you no longer strictly fall under the purview of the Ministry."

He studied her pinched lips and furrowed brow in an attempt to understand what she was telling him. Giving up, he asked with exasperation, "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sure you've noticed by now that your Dark Mark is gone and your neck isn't a mass of scar tissue."

"I had noticed that, yes."

"That's because you had an unknown magical heritage that manifested itself when you were dying." She took the empty glass from him. "At least, I assumed it was unknown to you."

"I never knew." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Taking a deep breath he asked, "Did you happen to figure out what it is?"

"Without doing blood tests, I would guess Fae." When he glared at her because she didn't give him the answer he wanted, she added, "I would never take your blood without your permission, and the blood from your wounds was tainted by that snake's venom."

"Why is Fae your best guess? Have I suddenly become blindingly beautiful?"

Poppy glared at him. "No, but a lot of you imperfections seemed to have disappeared: your teeth have straightened, your skin tone isn't as sallow, and your hair has lost its oiliness. Those are the things I can see. I'm sure if I was able to do a second, more in-depth examination, I would find that your organs are working in peek condition." She grabbed his clothes off the chair sitting beside his bed and handed them to him. "If you want to know for certain, get dressed and I'll run the blood test."

Once Poppy ducked behind the curtain, Severus threw the covers off and began searching his skin to see if all his scars had faded. His hands were now devoid of any marks and the one from the inside of his left knee had disappeared as well. He dressed in his slacks and shirtsleeves and draped his frock coat over his forearm. He made his way to her office and was surprised to see Hermione Granger sitting in a chair just outside the door. "I was under the impression that the school term was over," he snidely remarked.

"Oh, Professor, I so glad to see you've awoke!" A smile broke over her face before she answered his question. "It is, I was just helping Madame Pomfrey until you were well enough to resume some of your duties." She rose from her seat and indicated that he could sit in it if he wished. "Will you let her know I finished the rest of the basic healing potions?"

Severus nodded and watched her exit the infirmary. He saw her pause before the door and shyly glance back at him before she went on her way. There was something about her that seemed different, but he was unable to ascertain what it was exactly. He rapped on the door with his knuckles and when Poppy gave her assent, he entered her office. "Miss Granger asked me to tell you she finished the last of the healing potions."

"I'm glad to hear it; she has been so helpful since the end of the war," she commented absentmindedly as she pointed at the chair across from her, "Now, take a seat and extend the ring finger of your left hand."

Doing as she bade him, he placed his frock coat on an empty chair and sat in the other. He pushed his sleeve up a little and extended the requisite finger. He winced when Poppy poked the tip with a knife, but didn't pull away. She placed three vials in front of him. "Am I to assume that I need to put a drop in each one?"

"If you would be so kind. There are only three magical beings that would change your appearance for the better: Veela, Selkie, or Fae."

Severus placed his blood in each vial and watched as only one reacted. Looking at what was written on the label, he turned to Poppy and said, "It looks like your hypothesis was correct." He sat back in his chair, slightly puzzled. Of the three, Fae was the one he knew the least about.

She pulled a piece of parchment to her and began scribbling something down. When she was finished, she looked at Severus and asked, "Do you, Severus Snape, swear that this is the first time you are learning of your half-Fae heritage?"

"I so swear."

Poppy tapped the parchment and handed the newly made document to him, then sealed the other in an envelope and efficiently tied it to the leg of the waiting owl sitting on the window sill. "Take this to Kingsley Shacklebolt at the Ministry of Magic. He'll know what to do with it."

After the owl flew off, Severus turned his attention to Poppy and asked, "Why did you send the results to Shacklebolt?"

"He's the interim Minister at the moment. He's hoping he won't have to tell the Wizenmagot about your new-found status, but he would like to hold something back in case they decided to force his hand."

"My new status would be problematic at best. It would be worse for me if I had knowingly used my status as half-Fae to escape justice." He rose from his seat and grabbed for his frock-coat. As he put it on, he said, "It appears that I need to make use of the library. After all, it has been quite some time since I've had to know anything about the Fae and I'm feeling myself somewhat at a loss as where to go from here."

Poppy followed him to the door. "I'm sure the library has quite a few tomes on Fae lore and laws. You may find something that even leads you to your father."

Narrowing his eyes at her, he asked, "How are you certain that my father was one of the Fae?"

"My dear boy, you forget. I cared for your mother when she was a student here and you have always been the spitting image of your mother."

* * *

As Severus entered the library, he bowed his head to Madame Pince, then made his way to the section containing information about the Fae only to find that the collection wasn't as cohesive as it used to be. The Battle of Hogwarts had caused the library to be hit by a few stray curses, causing entire sections to be obliterated. This meant that the section pertaining to magical creatures, one that originally contained nearly five hundred volumes, had been reduced to two bookshelves. Hoping that the books containing extensive information about the Fae had not been located in the middle, Severus opened up one of the newer books and scanned it to see if there were any entries.

The blurb he found was as follows:

_The Fae people have slowly gone into hiding. The only things known for sure is that they are a beautiful race and can be hurt by iron._

He set the book aside and grabbed another. And another. After finding the third book with the same two sentences, misplaced next to an entry about house-elves that mentioned the S.P.E.W. Group Miss Granger had started in her third year, he moved down the shelf to see if any of the older books contained any information he could use. After quickly scanning the titles, he was certain he had hit a dead end. He quickly exited the library and, after scribbling a quick note on a scrap of parchment, he headed to the owlery to send off his missive. He retired to a suite of rooms that had been set aside for him once he recovered and began pouring over potions texts to see if he could find one that would give him a clue to his paternity. He found several that would work, except they also needed a DNA sample from his mother, and he was certain that Tobias Snape had burnt everything belonging to his mother in a fit of rage after her death.

An owl tapped on his window, so he rose to retrieve the message attached to the bird's leg. The answer was simple.

_You're welcome to peruse the library._

Severus hastily scratched out a reply that he was on his way and called for a house-elf. When it appeared, he handed the scrap to the creature and requested the elf to deliver the parchment to Lucius.

The house-elf bowed and popped out. Severus wrote down the book titles he had perused within the Hogwarts' library so there would be no wasting of his time on those same titles at Malfoy Manor. Stuffing the small scroll into his pocket, he exited his rooms; he paused long enough at the doors of Hogwarts to glance at the date on the Daily Prophet sitting on a table beside the door—July fifteenth—and noticed the headline proclaiming that Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley were seen snuggling in an alcove at a restaurant. Shaking his head, Severus continued on his way to the Manor, eager to find anything about his condition.

* * *

"I think you have nearly exhausted our vast resources," Lucius said as he handed his friend a snifter of brandy. "Have you managed to find anything in the past two weeks?"

Severus studied his brandy for a moment before answering. "I've learned that the Fae have the inability to lie, are harmed by iron, usually glamour themselves to fit in with society, and apparently influence fertility when numbers are low. What I have been unable to figure out is a way to ascertain the identity of my father because all the potions I can find need something of my mother's as a catalyst and Tobias had managed to destroy everything."

Lucius watched his friend stare into the fireplace and contemplate the fire. The last time he had seen his friend this troubled was when he had returned to the Manor after the Dark Lord last returned. He swirled the brandy in his glass, hoping he could find the answer in the liquid. Keeping his gaze on his glass, he asked, "What else did you learn?" He felt, rather than saw, Severus' gaze snap to him. "Something is troubling you more than the inability to locate your father."

Downing the contents of his glass, Severus turned back to stare at the fire. "If anyone could understand, it would be you." He watched the flames for a moment, unsure of how to begin. "I managed to find a footnote in one of your great-great-granduncle's journals. Apparently, he had to mate with one of the Fae because he was her destined partner. He only relented when the woman let him know that she would die if he didn't comply."

Lucius refilled Severus' glass then set the decanter back. "Is there anything written beyond that?"

"According to the journal, he and the young lady had many happy years together; their children weren't so lucky. Only one managed to live past their forty-fifth birthday and it was the only one that had a love match instead of an arranged marriage. It continued until your father's generation."

Lucius walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a slim volume. He handed it to Severus and waited until the other man opened the cover before he said, "I inherited this from my granduncle's estate when he passed. There is only one other copy and it belongs to my cousin." He watched his friend slowly turn the pages and finished his brandy. "It's enchanted so only those with Fae blood can read it. It has always looked like Gobbledygook to me."

"I think I'll retire to my room." Severus headed toward the door, turning back at the last minute to look at Lucius. "I'll be sure to let you know if I find anything."

Lucius shook his head and poured himself another drink. Severus always knew how to make an exit.

* * *

Using a brisk pace, Severus quickly made his way to Lucius' study. He walked up to the other man's desk and set down the slim volume he had been given three days previously. "I managed to find a solution."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at Severus' statement before he picked up the book and replaced it on the shelf. He gestured for the other man to sit and when he did not, Lucius shrugged his shoulders and resumed his seat. "Well, I'm listening."

"I need to go to the Being Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry. They are the ones who are supposed to keep track of hybrid offspring."

"Good luck then." Lucius reached for a quill to begin marking something in his ledgers. "Do you think you will be returning this evening?"

"I should be. I'll let you know of what I learned in that volume you loaned me once I return," He arched his eyebrow and grasped a bit of Floo Powder from the mantel near Lucius.

Severus casually tossed out a handful of Floo Powder and Flooed away to the Ministry. Once he arrived, he followed the protocol and handed over his registered wand before continuing to the department he needed. He took the lift to the proper level, then followed the signs once he reached his floor. When he reached the door, he took a moment to rehearse what he wanted to say, then chided himself for acting like a first-year. He reached for the doorknob and as he did so, it was suddenly wrenched open and he found himself with an armful of woman. Something about the smell of her hair seemed familiar, but that feeling paled in comparison of the touch of his hand on her bare elbow. Instantly, something deep inside his being felt complete for the first time in his life, as if he had finally found some instrumental piece of himself he didn't know was missing. He helped steady the woman and knew that this was it, she was the one for him. He spun her a little bit so he could see her face and felt elation turn to confusion.

Miss Granger looked up at him, all wide brown eyes and riotous tawny curls. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you there." Her breathy words returned him to reality with a cold, hard slap.

Severus stiffened his spine and dropped his hand from her elbow. He stepped back and said, "It's quite alright, Miss Granger." He let her pass him by, before entering the room that contained some of the answers he needed.

"Mister Snape. The Minister told me you might be making a visit." The unremarkable clerk shuffled through the pile of folders on his desk. When he located the one he needed, pulled it out of the pile, handing it to Severus. "You can keep this one. It contains a copy of your entire file as well as instructions on how to contact the parent that falls under our department. I hope all the information contained in the folder answers all your questions; if not, you are more than welcome to return." The clerk gave a toothy smile and waved Snape away.

Severus muttered his thanks to the clerk, then exited the room, intent on leaving the Ministry as soon as possible. Making his way to the welcome desk, he purposefully bumped into a few witches to see he had the same reaction as he did to Miss Granger. He felt disappointed when he felt no stirrings as before with Miss Granger. How inconceivable, he thought, that the insufferable-know-it-all would be the 'one'. He felt as if the Fates were testing him; for as he was leaving she happened to get on the same lift as him. Somehow, she managed to be standing on his left side and when the lift came to a stop on his floor, he brushed past her and casually touched her arm as he exited. When he felt the same feeling of completeness as before, all he could think was that he was doomed.

He snatched his wand from the greeter and Apparated to Spinner's End. He threw the packet onto the table and proceeded to drink himself into oblivion.


	2. Part 2

**PART II**

"Now, Hermione, this has gone on long enough. This ice queen act is getting old."

Hermione looked up from the paper she was writing and glared at him. Ever since the day she had gone to the Magical Being Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to get a pamphlet on Veela customs—she was researching gift-giving customs due to Fleur's newly announced pregnancy—it seemed like her relationship with Ron was turning into one long row. The first fight came after she refused to give him any affection after he had played a strenuous game of Quidditch. Another was when she decided to wear her hair differently; he had accused her of cheating on him and she laughed at the idea.

Lately he had been picking quarrels over her so-called frigidity. According to him, she was using sex as a weapon by withholding it. He didn't seem to understand that his recent behavior had been turning her off. She gestured to her studies and said, "I'm too busy to fight with you at the moment, Ronald. I am behind in this course and once I finish what I'm working on, I'll be more than happy to oblige you."

Ron closed the book she had been using and said, "No, we need to talk about this now. I've been trying to have this conversation with you for nearly a month now and you keep brushing me off." He sat down across from her and clasped one of his hands in hers. "I'm tired of us always fighting. I know we have always bickered, but it's got out of hand lately." He ran a thumb over her knuckles and smiled at her. "I wish we could backup to whatever caused this breakdown, but I know we can't. I think we're better off as just mates."

Hermione let out a sigh of relief. She'd had a feeling that her relationship with him had been coming to an end, and she was glad he was being mostly mature about it. "I have to agree with you. Things haven't been the best for some time now and I wasn't sure how to go about talking about it with you. After all, feelings aren't your strong suit." She gave him a small, lopsided smile.

He shook his head at the old joke. He had gotten better about expressing himself since the war, but still had a way to go. He smiled in an effort to keep the tone light. "It's surprising how easily we're able to talk about this. A few weeks ago, we would have bitten each other's heads off."

"I think this means we've both accepted that this is the end." Hermione frowned. As much as they had been fighting lately, she would have expected their relationship to end with a bang, not a whimper. She pulled her hand out of his and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. She opened her book to continue with her paper, unsure of what to do beyond attempting to return to normal. She caught Ron's gaze and smiled at him. "Find someone who can make you happy."

She watched as Ron nodded at her in a daze before he rose and left her to her thoughts. Hermione was confused as to why she didn't feel more heartbroken. She had wanted to be with him for a long time; she should have felt, at the very least, disappointed, instead she felt as if she knew her other half was out there waiting for her. It just wasn't Ron.

Shaking her head as if to will the thoughts away, she resumed writing her paper, eager to concentrate on something she did understand.

* * *

A few weeks later, she found herself sitting across from Neville, trying to figure out how she had managed to get herself into this mess. What was supposed to be an innocent coffee to discuss the coursework had turned into an intimate dinner at an Italian bistro.

"I'm so glad you agreed to this. I was afraid that it might have been too soon after your breakup with Ron and dredge up bad memories."

Hermione idly perused her menu, already wishing this night was over. She made a non-committal noise and said, "Ron and I are just friends now. He's already found someone else and I'm happy that he's happy."

And that was true. She was happy for Ron, more so than she expected to be, further cementing in her mind that she was ready to move on. It seemed that Daphne Greengrass didn't mind his lack of money; she had enough ambition to set him on the right path, and Ron was all the happier for it.

Neville reached across the table and grabbed her hand. She managed not to flinch, even though her brain was telling her his touch was wrong. Instead, she furrowed her brow and asked, "What are you doing?"

He pulled away. "It doesn't feel natural, does it?" He slumped in his chair. "I hoped that if this dinner with you went okay, my date with Hannah would be better."

"Your date with Hannah?" She stared at him for a moment. "Is that why our coffee turned into an intimate dinner?"

Neville blushed to the roots of his hair. "Sorry to mislead you, but I've never been on an actual date before and I wanted the practice."

"You should have just told me. I would have been more than happy to help you."

"Thanks, Hermione." He made a sweeping gesture meant to encompass the restaurant. "Do you think she would like it here?"

"I do." Hermione leaned across the table and lowered her voice. "In fact, if someone had brought me here on a real date, I would have been happy."

He lit up, his smile encompassing his face. "Do you have any other suggestions?"

After that, conversation flowed smoothly. Hermione gave him some advice he thought was good—like bringing flowers and not practicing on another witch—before conversation moved onto what was happening in their lives; Neville was an assistant to Professor Sprout while completing his NEWTS and Hermione was completing her seventh year coursework by owl.

By the time dessert and coffee arrived, Hermione was glad the outing had turned out so well and she had been able to reconnect with her friend. She was a little startled when she heard him ask, "What is it you're looking for in a partner?"

She thought for a moment. "I'm looking for someone I can be myself around: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I couldn't be that around Ron, not really. I also need someone to be able to keep up with me intellectually." She took a sip of her coffee and contemplated the steam rising from the cup. "Ron and I were never really a tight fit, but I never expected it to end like it did."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's much better than I envisioned it would be."

When they finished eating, Neville insisted on paying and gave her a hug as they were saying their goodbyes. She still felt that his touch was wrong somehow, but the feeling wasn't as strong as before. As he pulled away, he said, "I know you're probably feeling skittish about dating again, but you should think about getting in touch with Dean Thomas. He's completing his schooling by owl course like you are."

"Thanks. I'll have to think about it." They both exited the restaurant and she headed to the Apparition point. She Apparated home and began stripping off her clothes. As she walked to her bedroom, she had a sudden thought back to the day she ran into Professor Snape at the Ministry. It had crossed her mind then, and now, that he had been looking much better than when she had last seen him in the Hospital Wing. For a moment she thought about what it would be like to be wooed by the acerbic man, then dismissed it as crazy.

No one like him would ever woo her.

She changed into something more comfortable and sat on the edge of her bed. She blindly stared out the window and watched the stars twinkle merrily above. Thoughts of what Neville had said warred with her thoughts about Professor Snape. Making up her mind, she slowly rose and walked over to her writing desk. She penned a quick message to Dean and invited him to have coffee with her later in the week. Before she could change her mind, she summoned her owl and told it to deliver the letter to Dean and to wait for an answer. Satisfied that things were now taken care of, she found one of her favorite books and read until she was ready to go to sleep.

* * *

Hermione found herself waiting in a corner table the following Wednesday. She had kept it casual, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, not sure if she was ready to jump into dating. When she saw him enter, she nervously brushed her hands on her jeans and rose to greet him. When he touched the skin near her elbow, the same feeling of wrongness she had experienced with Neville shot through her and she tried not to flinch away.

Dean, not being distracted by thoughts of another woman, dropped his hand and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Hermione slid into the booth and waited for her companion to do the same. She decided that he was trustworthy enough not to spill her secrets as she added, "This is the second time this has happened."

Dean nodded and seemed lost in thought as he hailed a waitress. Once their orders were placed, and the waitress left them alone, he asked, "How long has this been going on?"

"Since Ron and I broke up. If I were to be totally honest, I would say it had been going on while we were still together, just not as strong." She watched as he went to grab her hand and she pulled it away. "What are you doing?"

"I'm curious to see what your level of discomfort is." When she glared at him, he hastily added, "It could help narrow down what the cause is." He watched her lay her hand across the table then touched the back of her hand. "How does that feel?"

"Wrong." She shifted in her seat. "But not as bad as earlier."

"Okay." He flipped her hand over and clasped it like they were on a real date. "Now?"

Grimacing, she said, "It's hard to explain without sounding silly."

"Explain it to me then."

She took a deep breath and forced herself not to pull away. "It feels like you're taking liberties that you're not allowed to take. It feels worse than if you are just touching me."

He pulled back and frowned. He sipped his drink and just observed her for a few moments, noticing that she had visibly calmed the moment he had let go of her hand. "What do you think would happen if I were to kiss you?"

"They would only find pieces of you." She ground out, eyes squinted in warning.

Dean grinned at the familiar threat; there was the Hermione he remembered. He watched the remainder of the discomfort disappear from her countenance and was struck by the sudden realisation of what was going on. And knew he wouldn't be the one to help her. "I think you need to to talk to someone else about this. To me it sounds like you are part of a mated pair."

At his pronouncement, Hermione groaned. She remembered that when the topic had come up in History of Magic, all the girls started paying attention. All the girls except her. "I'm not talking to Lavender."

He snorted. "I was thinking more along the lines of Bill and Fleur. After all, her grandmother was a Veela."

After a few more pleasantries, and each downing their own drink, Hermione announced her intention to look up Fleur sooner rather than later. "Thanks." She rose from her chair then turned to him and said, "I really enjoyed our talk."

"Anytime."

Hermione exited the café and made her way to the nearest Apparition point and quickly Apparated to Shell Cottage. She had been a frequent visitor while she and Ron had been dating, and had come to think of Bill like the older brother she never had. She knocked on the door and was genuinely happy when Bill answered. "Hello! It's so good to see you, Bill. Do you have a moment? Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Hermione. Come on inside." If someone were to say he was surprised to see his little brother's ex-girlfriend, they wouldn't be far off the mark. He hadn't seen her since the break up, but he knew Fleur had met her for tea a few times. He had always liked her, but had thought she was settling when she and Ron had become serious. Not that he didn't love his little brother, but anyone with eyes could see that they were ill-suited. He stepped aside and let her lead the way to the sitting room.

They sat across from one another; he very casual, Hermione a bit tense. Unsure of how to ask, she blurted out, "This is going to sound strange, but are you and Fleur a mated pair?"

Bill knew she was being serious, but he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. He saw her raise an eyebrow and shake her head. "I never expected you to be the one to ask that question."

She crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "I never expected to be the one to ask it."

He smiled at her. "To answer your question, yes we are, but she's far enough removed to not have to worry about the bad things."

"Far enough removed?"

Bill sat down on the sofa and motioned for her to have a seat. "For those that have a higher concentration of magical being blood, the bonds of mated pairs are stronger and can be activated by something as simple as a touch. Using Fleur and myself as an example, our bond was instant, but we didn't feel the driving need to be with one another. Her parents, on the other hand, were inseparable until Fleur was conceived. If a bond is formed and not acknowledged, there are consequences for failing to do so."

"Wait! Consequences?! I don't even know who I'm bonded to and there are going to be consequences?" By this point she had risen and was pacing the room. "It's bad enough I pushed Ron away because of this, but now there's imore/i I have to deal with?"

Hearing the panic begin to leech into her voice, Bill stood and gently grasped the young woman by the shoulders . "Hermione, it will be okay. You don't have to worry about the worst consequences, your mate iwill/i."

Feeling the tears well up, she blinked in an effort for them not to fall. She then realized something; she didn't have a problem with Bill touching her. For a moment, she enjoyed being touched by someone without feeling some sort of revulsion. She took a a minute to absorb this fact, then took a deep breath. "I think I'm already having some."

Bill was about to say something when he heard the Floo activate and Fleur called out that she was home. He let go of Hermione's shoulders and called out, "I'm in the sitting room. Hermione came for a visit."

Fleur entered the room and assessed the situation. Her friend looked distressed and hadn't liked what Bill had been talking to her about. The elegant blonde sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to her. "'Ermione, sit next to me while Beel makes us some tea." After both did her bidding, she turned to Hermione and asked, "Now, what iz zee problem?"

Hermione told her what had been happening, making sure to let her know her body's response to Bill's touch. "I understand why his touch didn't make me cringe, but I wish I could figure out why and when this happened."

"My _maman_ told me about zis in case it 'appened to me. Touching zee skin of your mate activates it and a mark will appear on you to warn zee ozzer males, letting zem know you are taken. Depending on where your mark izz will tell you what your mate izz."

Frowning, Hermione said, "I haven't noticed any new marks."

"Zay are usually in places you cannot see. Let me examine your neck."

Hermione pulled the hair off the back of her neck and waited while Fleur examined the area. "See anything?"

"Non. I need to see your shoulders and back."

Hermione lifted up the back of her shirt to bare the areas requested and was surprised to hear Fleur's gasp of excitement. "Is it good?"

Fleur came around front and motioned for Hermione to lower her shirt. "Your mate is one of zee Fae. You are very lucky." She rubbed a spot on her abdomen where her child was kicking. "I don't know much, but I do know that it is not very often a witch izz zee chosen mate of zee Fae."

Hermione felt her heart sink. But she did now have a direction in which to continue her research. She thanked Fleur for her time and left the cottage with a determined stride.

Bill and Fleur watched her Apparate away. Bill turned to his wife and said, "You realize you pointed her in a direction that may not make her happy."

"Ah, Beel. 'Ermione would never be 'appy until she knew everyzing."

* * *

Hermione was on a mission.

She had blown through the library at Grimmauld Place in the last three days and she knew the books in the Hogwarts' library worth reading would have been destroyed in the war, so she hoped she would be able to find what she was looking in the book Flourish and Blotts was holding for her.

As she was standing in the queue to receive her book, she noticed both the knowing and confused looks on the other people's faces as they caught a glimpse of her bared shoulder. She had found the mark after she had left Shell Cottage and decided to show it off, hoping it might elicit a response from the right person. For half a moment, she thought she felt the brush of fingertips across her skin, but when she turned to look, no one was there. She quickly retrieved her book and paid for it. As she exited the shop, she was busy studying the cover, and wasn't watching where she was going. She was pushed into the person standing behind her. Warm, large, and slightly callused hands gripped her shoulders to steady her as a feeling of pervasive warmth flowed through her body. Hermione _had to know_ who was standing behind her.

She turned around and found herself staring into the dark eyes of Severus Snape.

If hard-pressed, Hermione would have sworn that for an instant she saw nothing but pure longing in his eyes, that quickly evaporated as if it were smoke. She could feel him idly tracing her mark with his thumb, and knew that she had been born for this. For him.

Hermione felt bereft when he pulled away and exited the shop. She tried to follow him, but lost sight of his billowing cloak in the crowd as he Apparated away. She vowed to find him, but first she needed to do something. She needed knowledge to be on equal footing with him, and forewarned was forearmed. She looked down at the book she held in her hands and smiled.

After all, she had a book to read.


	3. Part 3

**PART III**

Once he arrived home, Severus began berating himself, wondering what had possessed him to seek Hermione out. He had blindly Apparated to Flourish and Blotts, somehow knowing she would be there, telling himself he would only observe her from afar. Then he saw she had left her shoulder bare, flaunting _his_ mark, and it called to him like a siren's song. He had managed to brush the outline with his fingertips without her knowing; when she became engrossed with her book, he had followed her and allowed himself to get caught. It was awfully sloppy of him.

But worth the few moments he had contact with her skin.

Knowing he couldn't drown his sorrows the way he truly wanted to, he checked his clothing over before leaving to meet with his father. He was hoping Callum would be able to help him. Once he arrived, he hesitated for a moment before he rapped on the door.

A tall man with dark hair and piercing green eyes answered the door. Noticing his son was in distress, Callum opened the door wider and let his son enter his abode. "Want to tell your da what's the problem, boyo?"

Severus quickly shed his outer robe and draped it over a chair. He rolled up his sleeve and saw that the Celtic mark on his left wrist had started to fill in. He showed it to his father and said, "I wasn't able to stay away from her today."

Callum shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know why you are insisting on following through with this foolishness. I already told you, it will be much easier on you if you just give into the urge to just mate with the girl."

Shooting Callum a look of disgust, Severus rolled his sleeve down. "She was my student."

"That's entirely my point. Once you seal the bond, you'll no longer give a flying feck if she was once your student. She'll simply be yours." When he realized his argument was falling on deaf ears, Callum pointed a finger at Severus and said, "If I ever had any doubt that you were my son, that attitude proves you are a product of mine and Eileen's union. Don't get me wrong, boyo, I loved your mother, but her sense of fatalism was enough to put off most men.

"As for your young lady, I had already seen my five-hundredth year when I met your mother."

He snorted at the other man's pronouncement. "That's all well and good, but I _will not_ force her to hitch her fate to mine." He began pacing back and forth, feeling the need to release some of his pent up energy. He ran his hand through his hair and said, "Even if I did manage to go through it, it wouldn't solve anything. It sure didn't work out too well for you."

"Not for lack of trying," his father snorted. "Your mother was convinced you were not mine; so sure that once it became apparent that you were _my son_, she placed a semi-permanent glamour on you and forced you to think your glamoured appearance was your real visage. You believed it well enough that when she died, you continued to project that appearance to the outside world. And she did it just to prove your grandfather wrong. She wanted to prove him wrong so badly, she never believed she could be happy with me."

Taken aback by the vehemence of his father's voice, Severus folded his arms over his chest and let out a sigh. "I'm not going to chase her down, but if she comes to me, I'll hear her out."

The older man smiled and patted his son on the shoulder. The boy might resist his destiny by kicking and screaming as he was dragged toward it, but Callum would always be there to give his boy a kick in the arse when he needed it. He smiled conspiratorially. "Now, tell me about your girl."

* * *

After reading through her new purchase twice, Hermione found herself with more questions than answers. She now had an idea of what had happened as well as the Big Picture; what she didn't know was what Severus' place in all of this was. Was he her mate? Did he have the same kind of mark she did? And most importantly, did he know of their bond before he had almost died in the Shrieking Shack?

Five days after their encounter, she found herself on the front stoop of Spinners' End, armed with a list of questions. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. She saw a curtain move in the window adjacent to the door and assumed it would be opened imminently. After five minutes passed, she knocked again. And saw the curtain move again. Now knowing someone was inside, she called out, "I realise it might be rude of me to just appear on your front step, but you are the only one who can answer the questions I have." She bit her lip out of nervousness. "I know your status and you're the only one who can help me."

A muffled voice said through the door, "How did you become privy to my status?"

Glad to receive an answer, she happily replied, "When I registered my status as a mate, I asked if there were any unpaired male Fae. The clerk was more than happy to answer my request."

The door opened and her former professor silently allowed her entry. She was reluctantly shown the sofa in his parlor, as he perched tensely in a worn chair farthest from her. Snape studied her for a moment, then said, "Get on with it."

Swallowing nervously, Hermione wished for something to drink. "I guess the most important question is this: Am I your mate?"

Severus tersely nodded at her as he folded his arms over his chest. He had told Callum he would hear her out; he never said he wouldn't make her iwork/i for it.

Smiling, Hermione shook her head. She shouldn't have assumed it would be easy. "Do you have a mark that matches mine?"

Severus frowned. He tried to lie to her, but the moment the thought crossed his mind, his mouth refused to operate. He sighed and said, "Yes," then added to himself, "Callum didn't tell me about this."

She wanted to ask who Callum was, but she didn't dare. "The Fae can twist and bend the truth all they want, but they can't lie outright." When her companion raised an eyebrow in question, she added, "I finished reading the book I had purchased at the book store the other day. It was written by someone who had Fae blood themselves."

"I see." And he could. Hermione was the type to research something until she had every last kernel of information she could get her hands on. "How did you come to the conclusion you needed information on the Fae?" Snape sighed and moved back to sit more comfortably in his battered chair. This was going to be a long discussion.

"After Ron and I broke up, I began having issues with not being able to be touched by men. Someone I had coffee with suggested that I talk with Bill and Fleur. Fleur was the one who told me about the marks and what it meant. I'm still not sure where I received mine, or when exactly..." Hermione's voice trailed off, curiously noticing Severus' hands clenched so tightly his knuckles shown white.

Feeling pain shooting through his hands, Severus looked down and realized his hands were balled into tight fists. He took a deep breath and relaxed his hands. It wouldn't do to get worked up over her having _coffee_ with someone. He spotted his mark peeking out from under his sleeve and saw the flash of color. He looked back up at her and noticed her marked shoulder was bare. "Did you know that exposing your mark is asking for trouble?" His voice was a deep, delicious rumble that made gooseflesh of her exposed skin.

She rubbed her arms to still the tingling his voice had caused and tilted her head to the side for a moment as she studied him. His body language told her that he wanted her (his upper torso leaning toward her as if he was trying to absorb every part of their conversation), but that he didn't want to want her (his bald fists and stubborn insistence in sitting as far away as possible). "Do you not want me because I was your former student or because I'm not pretty enough for you? If it's the former, only time on proximity can help, but if it's the latter, I should let you know I won't change my outward appearance."

He ripped his gaze away from her shoulder and took in her features. "That's not the problem." Severus watched her relax and sit against the back of the sofa. He could feel his body trying to make physical contact with her, but he resisted. He needed to be able to think, and he knew that if he touched her, his biological instincts would take over. "I don't want you to be bound to me because I don't want to be bound to anyone."

"That's understandable. For a long time you were caught between two domineering men. Although, I have been thinking about it and I think we'd get along admirably." Head high, she rose, gathering up her dignity, and headed toward the door.

A feeling of absolute panic welled up in his chest and he stood to follow her. He was two steps behind her and her mark kept calling to his own. When she turned to say her goodbyes, he was consumed in his need to touch her before she left him. He grabbed her upper arms and pushed her up against the door. Her eyes widened and a breathy little sigh escaped her parted lips. He stared at her for a moment, warring with himself before he pulled away and said, "Leave."

Her right hand reached out and grabbed his left wrist, her fingers brushing his mark. He looked down and had to smile at her boldness.

"You _will not_ push me away."

Severus met her gaze and was surprised to see the determination in her eyes. "I won't be able to make you happy."

She glared at him. "I don't need you to make me happy. I need you to be my partner." She dropped his wrist, then flung herself into his arms and kissed him. He pushed her back until she was trapped between him and the door, slanting his mouth over hers he wrapped his arms around her and quickly took control of the kiss.

He began to place kisses along her neck, gentle bites and licks; she shuddered helplessly.

"Oh, Severus," she whispered with a breathy sigh, giving into the blazing feelings of passion, need, and desire coalescing. She gave her will up to him.

He stiffened his spine and pulled away after she moaned his name. Appalled that he managed to lose control, he Apparated away from his own front step, leaving Hermione feeling bereft and alone.

* * *

The next morning, Severus was woken by a swift kick to his bed frame and a voice yelling, "Time to wake and face the music, boyo!"

He groaned aloud and rolled over to find Callum standing at the edge of his bed. "Leave me alone," he groaned into his pillow.

"Can't do that. Time for you to be a man and clean up your mess." He pulled the blankets off Severus and laughed when he swore about the cold. "Now, you will apologise to the girl and you will be bloody sincere and you will bloody well explain why you ran away. It's not her fault you have a death-wish."

"Oh, fuck off. It's a little too late for you to try to be my father." Severus rose and dressed. He was too tired to deal with Callum today. He made to exit the room, only to find his father blocking his way. "Move."

"No." Callum crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking Severus' stubborn pose. "The girl is everything I could ever hope for you to find in a mate. You will not screw up like I did."

He hung his head in mock defeat, then looked back up at his father. "How did you know what transpired between Hermione and myself yesterday?"

"Finally caught that, did you?" He made a show of examining his fingernails. "After you left her standing alone in your house," he glared at his son, "she tracked me down using the paperwork the Ministry gave you and if she wasn't already meant for _you, I'd_ be trying to court her away from you." He grinned as he spied Severus' clenched fists. Any signs of jealousy were good signs. "We had a nice chat and she is willing to compromise, but you have to apologise."

"What if I just ignore her?" Severus threw out petulantly.

"Pouting doesn't become you, boyo. Don't make me order you to be cordial."

Severus grimaced. He remembered the tales Callum had told him at their first meeting. "No need."

"Good." He headed down the stairs then waited for Severus. "Now, I'll go make tea and you will go greet your guest."

Severus growled as he brushed past Callum, but stopped short when he saw Hermione sitting on his parlour sofa. She had her hair pulled away from her face and looked so lovely, she caused his mouth to dry up. He swallowed the lump in his throat and sat down in the same chair as yesterday. He nodded in greeting. "Callum told me you saw him yesterday."

She started at his haggard appearance. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was losing the little color it did have. She cleared her throat and looked away from him. "After you left, I needed someone to talk to and I figured your father would make the best candidate."

"I see." He admired the lines of her neck and frowned when he realized he couldn't see her mark. "You covered your mark."

"Callum explained how it wouldn't be fair to you." She turned to meet his gaze. "I didn't know it could affect you like that. I'm sorry."

Silence fell between the two until Callum entered from the kitchen baring a tea tray. "It's good to see you two getting along."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He looked at his father and said, "You need to leave. Hermione and I can get along well enough not to harm one another."

Callum looked at Hermione to see if she agreed. When she nodded, he turned to Severus and said, "Alright, I'll leave you be, but if you two can't come to an agreement today, I'll sit on discussions tomorrow."

The moment after Callum left, Severus turned to Hermione and asked, "What was the compromise you proposed to Callum?"

Hermione blushed and looked at the floor. Needing a minute to compose herself, she poured herself a cup of tea. Wishing she could have a shot of whiskey for courage, she took a sip before looking at him. "That we should consummate the bond between us."

Severus inhaled the tea he had been drinking and began coughing. When he was finally able to breathe properly again, he said, "Please elaborate further."

"The reason you are having control issues when you see my mark is because we haven't cemented the bond. Once we do so, you will lose that urge and you won't suffer any consequences."

"What consequences? I was unaware of any other than the Fates deciding a former student was my mate."

Deciding to let that one slide, Hermione took another sip of tea. "The reason you don't hear of many partial Fae is because most don't live past their forty-fifth birthday."

He took another sip of his tea and ate a chocolate biscuit while he mulled it over. "So you are saving me from death. How noble of you," he sniped.

"Not as noble as you would think." She finished her tea and set her cup back on the tray. "I would like to be able to go back out into society again. From what Callum told me, once this is completed, we can go on with our lives."

Setting his cup aside, Severus studied her for a moment. He could tell she was serious about willing to walk away if he asked her. "Very well. When would you like to do this?"

"How about now?" Hermione rose and moved to stand in front of him. She freed her hair from her clip and looked down at him. She decided to take advantage of his mute state by framing his face with her hands and leaning down to kiss him.

Her lips were soft and slightly parted against his. Severus kept his fists at his sides, curious as to what she would do without any prodding. He felt her hands slide up into his hair and let a moan escape.

How could she inspire such a reaction with so little encouragement, he wondered.

His hands gripped her waist, slipping under her shirt, but not straying from the waistband of her slacks. She hummed against his mouth as his thumbs caressed the soft skin at her waist. He spread his legs so she could stand closer to him as he could do a little more exploring.

She pulled away for a moment and smiled at his sound of protest. In an instant, her shirt was off and she was standing in front of him with her upper half nearly bare. She shivered when he gently traced the scar from Dolohov's curse with curious fingers and nearly melted when his tongue followed the same path. She moaned when he gently bit a bra-clad nipple, causing her to begin plucking at the buttons of his shirt to pull the damned thing off him.

He would have laughed at her eagerness if he hadn't been attempting to strip her clothes off as well. Her bra had been easy enough to deal with, but her slacks were giving him trouble. He stopped only when her hands replaced his own and she quickly finished stripping. For a moment, he just admired her form, then he rose and stripped off the rest of his clothing. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs, eager to get her to bed. Once they were in his bedroom, Severus sent a silent prayer to whoever made Callum decide to tidy up for him.

She followed close behind and waited for him to shut the door. She pulled down the covers and when the stood back up, his front was pressed against her back. She stood still as his hands roamed over her torso. She let out a hiss of pleasure as his hands ghosted over her core, teasing her with what was to come.

He spun her around and passionately kissed her as he guided her to the bed. Feeling her knees coming into contact with the bed, he pushed her down and helped her settle on the mattress. He looked at her kiss-swollen lips and flushed skin, determined to commit it to memory. He spread her legs and settled himself between her thighs, lining himself up with her entrance.

That first thrust sent her catapulting over the edge. This feeling was so good, so _right_.

He clenched his teeth and thought of a naked Umbridge to keep from embarrassing himself. His body was acting as if this was the first woman he had ever had, but he was determined to make it last. Once he gained control, he began slowly thrusting.

With each thrust, Hermione gave a little whimper of pleasure. She now knew why sex with her previous partners had only been ho-hum. It never felt like _this_. It was going to break her heart to walk away, but she would do it for him.

His thrusts sped up and he knew he was getting close. He looked at her face and knew she was lost to the sensations. But her eyes were shut. He growled at her, "Look at me!"

Her eyes flew open and focused on his. She saw the want and desire warring with both desperation and helplessness. Vowing to never be a burden to him, she pulled him down and kissed him with all the love she didn't know she felt for him at that moment.

He clutched her as he surged in and out of her, sending them both over the edge.

* * *

They slept the rest of the morning, waking sometime after noon. They had coupled one more time, in Severus' words, to make sure it took, before Hermione left the house on Spinners' End.

Severus took another nap before he dressed and went downstairs to take care of the tea service. When he entered the sitting room, he found Callum helping himself to a fresh pot of tea. "By all means, make yourself at home."

"Don't mind if I do." He smiled and set down his cup. "Am I to assume that everything went well with Hermione?"

He sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. He took a sip and enjoyed the warmth that settled in his stomach. "The deed is done and we can move on."

Callum motioned for Severus to give him his arm. "Let me see your mark."

Severus pushed up his sleeve and studied his mark while Callum did the same. He noticed a small loop had been added to his mark, but that was the only difference he noticed. "What does that mean?"

"Hmm?" Callum looked at his son. He didn't actually need to look at the mark to see that Severus' bond with the young woman had been consummated. His son had already lost the haggardness and strained look around his eyes. "It means everything worked as it was supposed to. How does it feel to be a free man?"

"I feel better." He ate a biscuit and drank his tea. "I didn't realize how worn down I was."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, boyo." He rose from his seat and pulled on his coat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment. I'll see you soon, lad."

He watched his father wink out, then he turned his attention back to his mark. He ran a finger along the pattern and smiled at the memory of Hermione doing the same. He shook his head then went about his day, determined to forget their interlude.

* * *

"How is my beautiful daughter-in-law doing today?"

Biting into a cracker, Hermione scowled at Callum. He had taken to randomly showing up to her flat once a day since she had spent that morning with Severus.

That had been over a month ago.

"You need to quit popping in unannounced." She finished off the cracker and picked up another. "Nothing has changed since yesterday, so unless you have Severus in your pocket, go away."

Ignoring her, Callum sat down at her table and ate a few of her crackers. "You know my boy can't fit in my pocket. It's not my fault he decided to turn himself into a hermit."

"We both know he's turned himself into a hermit so he can avoid seeing me."

He tapped his chin while in thought. He knew the girl was right. Ever since that day, Severus had been determined to forget Hermione and would bristle every time the girl's name was mentioned. It was only today he could get the boy to voluntarily talk about her. "That might be changing."

"That's good to hear, but you need to get going. I'm supposed to go to dinner with a friend."

His fingers stilled. "Is this friend male?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes he is."

Smiling, he said, "I have an idea that will bring Severus out of his self-imposed exile faster, but you would have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone."

"I'm willing to try just about anything to help him pull his head out of his arse."

"What you need to do is this..."

* * *

_'Severus.'_

Severus looked up from his book. He had been reading up on the subject of mates and had been startled to learn that his parents had been the exception to most of the rules. He was honestly quite surprised that his father had survived his mother's death.

_'Severus.'_

He sighed. He had Hermione's voice calling his name for the past few hours. While it wasn't overly insistent, he knew that it could slowly drive him insane if he didn't heed the call. It was one of the things Callum had neglected to tell him until iafter/i his bond with Hermione had been consummated. He put away his book and concentrated on Hermione before Apparating to her position.

He immediately saw red.

A young man had his back to him and he could tell the _boy_ was touching Hermione's mark. He stalked over to them and grabbed the young man's wrist, barely resisting the urge to punch him in the face. "Take your hand off her."

He saw Hermione stiffen at the sound of his voice and waited for her to turn around and look at him. He let go of the young man's wrist and let his arms drop down to his sides. "Hermione, please look at me."

Hearing the plea for what it was, she turned in her chair and took in his unkempt appearance. He looked like he hadn't been talking care of himself; his facial hair was getting long and his hair looked like it hadn't been combed in weeks. She rose and cradled his face in her hands. "What have you done to yourself?"

"I realised I was being needlessly stubborn and didn't know how to talk to you about it." He clasped her shoulders and brushed his fingers across her mark, willing to sway her to his way of thinking. "I do hope you haven't changed your mind about making this work."

She smiled at him. "You silly man. Why do you think I convinced Neville to help me? I was willing to do anything to bring you to your senses." She kissed him softly on the lips. "I even took advice from Callum."

Ignoring Neville, Severus pulled her outside and was getting ready to Apparate when Hermione pulled away. When he looked at her quizzically, she asked, "Didn't Callum tell you what the loop meant?"

He nodded. "He told me it meant our bond was complete. Why? Is there more he didn't tell me?"

She smiled at him. "It means we are expecting a child."

"I think there's something we need to be celebrating." He pulled her to the nearest connection to the Floo Network and stopped long enough to pull her into his arms. "I can't promise everything will ever be easy for us, but I'll try my best."

"Destiny isn't supposed to be easy, but I'm willing to make it work if you are."

Pulling her into a kiss, Severus used the Floo powder to go to Spinners' End, eager to see where destiny would lead them.

**THE END**


End file.
